The Fragrance of Jasmines
by ChocolateIsMyDrug
Summary: Set at the end of Darr. Different from my usual stuff. Please read and review.


The Fragrance of Jasmines 

**Author's Note:** This is my first try at a non-humorous Bollywood fic. Actually, it's quite angsty. It is set at the end of the movie _Darr_, one of my favourite movies. Sunny Deol is the hot – but boring – hero, Juhi Chawla the adorable heroine and Shahrukh Khan the sexy psycho stalker. This movie must be the only one – ever – where I've everybody cheers when the villain – aka sexy stalker – stabs the hero.

I didn't like the ending of this movie. Not only did Shahrukh die, but the people made fun of his death after. I sort of left out Anupam Kher's stupid making fun of Shahrukh's death thing, and ended it – I hope – a little more sensitively.

Anyways, enjoy!

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They say your life flashes before your eyes the moment before death looms like a shroud, come to claim you.

It was a saying that was quite true, he found out. All the things he had done in the last few months attacked him in those last few moments.

Those threatening phone calls, trying to make Sunil have a car accident, turning up at her birthday party and Holi celebrations, stabbing Sunil, trying to force her to marry him…

He spat out a loose tooth, reeling as Sunil packed another punch. Normally, he would have fought doggedly until death but his spirit and strength had died when she had said those words. Those terrible, cold, unforgettable words. The words he hated the most, said by the voice he loved above any other.

'_Sunil, maar daalo usse! Kill him!'_

His blood had turned to ice when he had heard the fury and desperation in her voice. Those same words played over and over in his head, making him want to scream.

_Kill him!_

Most of him felt like wringing her neck for even daring to say that about _him,_ her Rahul; another part of him wept inside, wanting to embrace her and apologize over and over again; a small part of him even looked at it objectively and agreed with her that he had no right to live anymore after what he had done.

He certainly didn't care much about living now. He was sure now that even if Sunil were out of the equation, Kiran still wouldn't have him. Without Kiran, what was it worth anyway, living?

The wind was knocked out of him as Sunil gave him a particularly painful punch. His anger returned full-force as his jaw ached. _Why_ was he being punished? What he had done wasn't all that bad! What had he done? All he had done was love… love and anything that needed to be done to secure that love. What was so wrong with that?

He staggered and tried to stop himself slipping on the wet deck. The raindrops pelted on his back, each drop sending a cold shiver down his spine so that he was almost doing an odd dance routine to the wind's howling.

_I'm sorry, Ma,_ he whispered, _I couldn't keep my promise to you. I can't bring you your daughter-in-law._ He closed his eyes briefly, invoking the single precious memory he had, of a yellow sari and a comfortable lap, a loving voice and scent of jasmines, the tinkling of silver bangles and a soft lullaby.

When Kiran had turned up on the first day of college, she had been wearing a salwar kameez in the same shade of yellow, with silver bangles that tinkled. That was when he knew. He knew that his mother was sending him a sign, letting him know that Kiran was the daughter-in-law she had chosen for him.

And what a daughter-in-law. He had been sure that he loved her. He loved his mother's choice, his mother loved his choice. What could be better?

The only problem was, he had to let her know he existed before she would agree to marry him. And that proved to be harder than he thought.

No matter how hard he tried, how much he steeled himself, he could never bring himself to talk to her. He had gone up to her many times, his mouth had opened, then closed, opened, then closed – he had never been able to say it to her.

And while he was doing his goldfish impressions, tall, dark and handsome naval officer Sunil Malhotra had come along. And that was where it all started going downhill.

Aforementioned tall, dark and handsome naval officer kicked him in the stomach and he staggered backwards. He glanced up. Kiran. He needed to talk to Kiran. Apologize. Something. Anything.

He opened his mouth but then it shut when he saw the gun Sunil was now pointing at him. He opened it again. _No!_ _I need to talk to Kiran first._ He tried to start talking, but reminiscent of his goldfish days, his mouth would not obey him.

Before he could say a word or even attempt to again, pain shot through his stomach as he heard the _bang_ of a gunshot. He staggered backwards, clutching his stomach when another wave of pain came from under his ribs this time.

_No. I need to talk to Kiran!_ He was blown onto the bench near the edge of the ship as pain ignited all over him coupled with gunshots.

For a minute, all was silent and he just lay there, leaning against the edge of the ship, hardly breathing.

It was a wonder he was still alive, really.

He felt an overwhelming urge to just sleep, to set himself free from his shattered body.

Kiran was the only thing that kept him from drifting off. With the last ounce of his strength, he opened his eyes and turned his head a little so that he could see her.

'K-K-Kiran,' he stuttered. He saw Sunil aim the gun again. He set his face resigned to not talking to her.

He closed his eyes as he waited for the gunshot that would finish him.

It never came.

As he opened his eyes, he saw that the only thing stopping Sunil from pumping him full of lead was the small restraining hand on his arm.

Sunil watched him warily, gun down, as if still expecting him to get up and continue fighting. Kiran looked at him.

'I know I troubled your innocent wife and for that I'm truly sorry,' he croaked to Sunil, 'but one day, if you can find it in your heart to forgive me, I will be grateful.'

'K-K-Kiran,' he stuttered again, focussing on her face. It was as lovely as ever, if a little wet and fearful. 'K-Kiran,' he stuttered, his voice cracking, 'I know what I did was wrong, everything I did. But believe me when I say that I only did it because of your love. Your love was the only thing that kept me going. My life started and ended with it and I couldn't imagine living without it. That is the only reason I have to try and justify what I did. I understand now that you never loved me and you never will.'

Tears mingled with the rainwater on both their faces.

He sensed his time running out. He pleaded in barely above a whisper, '_Lekin mujhe nafrat mat karna._ Please… don't hate me.'

His eyes, shut, he summoned up the last of his strength to whisper, 'I love you, K-K-K-Kiran…'

His spirit rose free, finally, the weight of his apology unburdened as Kiran sobbed on the deck below, his song surrounding her.

There was someone waiting for him, someone in a yellow sari and silver bangles, her arms opened wide.

As he embraced her, the fragrance of jasmines engulfed him.

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**Author's Note 2:** -sob- The end of the movie always makes me cry.

Anyways, review, review, review! Reviews make my day, so if you're just reading this and not planning on reviewing, well, it's not that hard. You just have to press the blue/purple button at the bottom of the screen and say something. 'Cool fic' or even 'dis is da dummest crap ive eva read plz stop writin dis story is f--king stupid' is fine. Of course, I would prefer the former to the latter, but even the latter would tell me that there are people out there taking their time to read my story. So please do review. Thanks.

And now my lecture is over. I shall stop now. That said, hope you enjoyed the fic. If you did, let me know. If you didn't, let me know. If you are indifferent, let me know. Okay. Really stopping now. Bye.

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